If your senior mom or dad seems to be losing weight or they are complaining that their mouth is hurting the problem may not be what you expect. Typically, when a senior doesn’t want to eat or has mouth problems family caregivers assume it’s a medication side effect, or just some sensitive teeth or gums. But if your mom or dad wears dentures the reason they may not be eating could be their dentures. If your senior parent is refusing to eat because they have low appetite or because they are having difficulty cooking or shopping, home care services can solve the problem.
A home care provider can grocery shop or run errands, cook meals, and share those meals with your mom or dad to make sure they are eating. If the reason why your senior parent isn’t eating enough isn’t obvious it may be their dentures. Even if they fit well, dentures can make it difficult or painful for seniors to eat.
These are some of the ways that dentures can make it difficult for your senior parent to eat:
Difficulty Chewing Certain Foods
With dentures, seniors may have trouble chewing hard foods like nuts, raw vegetables, or meat. The best foods for seniors with dentures are soft to medium-soft so that your senior parent can easily chew them.
Make sure that meat isn’t overcooked so that it’s not tough. Try serving shredded meats that are easy to eat or cooking meat in the crockpot to make it soft.
Reduced Bite Force
Dentures often do not provide the same bite force as natural teeth, making it harder to break down food efficiently.
If your senior parent is having a hard time biting down and tearing food they may be afraid of choking on large pieces of food so they don’t eat as much. You can solve this problem by serving meals that are pre-cut into small bites for them.
Food Particles Getting Trapped
Food particles can easily get trapped under dentures, causing discomfort and sometimes leading to sores or infections. Infections could cause your senior parent to have very sore or angry gums that make eating painful.
You can prevent this by making sure that your senior parent is thoroughly cleaning their dentures regularly and getting regular dental checkups. A home care provider can help your mom or dad keep their dentures clean.
Changes in Taste
Dentures can cover part of the palate, affecting the ability to taste food fully. If your mom or dad can’t taste what they’re eating food isn’t going to be as appealing. To make sure that their dentures fit properly, have a dentist check them.
Over time the dentures may shift, or the shape of your senior parent’s mouth can change. The dentist can refit the dentures or make new ones.
Slippage and Movement
Dentures can sometimes slip or move while eating, particularly if they do not fit perfectly. This can cause embarrassment, discomfort, and difficulty in chewing and speaking, making social meals challenging.
Regular dental checkups where the dentist checks the fit of the dentures should prevent this. But if your senior parent starts experiencing slippage get them a dentist appointment right away to get their dentures checked.
If you are considering hiring a Home Care Service that is dedicated to the senior care market, contact 24/7 Coastal Contact today at (251) 260-0226.
Let us show you how and why we are different from any other service you may have tried in the past. Our team approach is the standard that sets us apart from the rest.
Prior to establishing 24/7 Coastal Contact, Ms. King worked for 30 years in the health care industry. Her experience began providing direct patient care. Eventually, she transitioned into home care and home infusion, then acquired her HCS-D certification as a Home Health specialty coder where she learned about the administrative burden facing Home Health and Home Care providers.
It became clear that after-hours customer service was a major toll home care industry and it was with this need in mind that 24/7 Coastal Contact was founded. In the three years since its start, 24/7 Coastal Contact has grown explosively. Now, we provide service to over 40 agencies in over 24 states with a 95% retention of service rate.
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